Tag Archives: super-ego

State Troopers are being investigated for frequenting prostitutes. A second wave of Secret Service agents (engaging in the same recreation) has come to light. John Edwards’ trial is now in full swing (with charges revolving around an adulterous affair and cover-up.) Since January, eight public school employees have been accused of inappropriate behavior. Recently more photos of soldiers humiliating “the enemy” have been brought to light.

No, I don’t think we’re headed towards a fiery spiral of demise, but I do find it interesting. It’s safe to say that the vast majority of the cited (above) indiscretions have been made by men in power. Certainly men in power behaving as if, well, as if they’re in power, is nothing new. Many of these men occupy rather insular environs. The military is the mother of all insulation, with law enforcement being a close runner-up. Anyone who has ever been in a public school (as a child or adult) can attest to the “alternate universe” quality. And politicians? The ubiquity of the joke about elected officials not knowing the price of a gallon of milk, tells a story, doesn’t it. They all work in a parochial world.

Clearly there is a certain lulling into entitlement that goes with this territory. The risks seem diminished when you believe you are special. But what is increasingly baffling is the fact that these people do live in the same universe as the rest of us. Even the most sequestered and protected has heard of photographs! They may have even heard of the internet (gasp!) In this day and age, how does anyone go through life not knowing they’re being watched?! When you add bad, sinister and/or illegal behavior to the mix, shouldn’t that just heighten any awareness/paranoia? Is there anyone who is arrogant enough to believe they actually have a cloak of invisibility? I don’t think so.

Something else is afoot. Unless one is building a career on bad behavior (insert D list starlet name) most people do not engage in nefarious behavior with the hope of exposure. It is more likely that, like the child sneaking a cookie, they simply want the cookie. Understanding repercussions comes with maturity, and for some, never at all. Certainly there are personality disorders whose hallmarks are not being able to process beyond the moment. But then there’s everyone else who simply wants what they want when they want it. Everyone and everything else be damned. Unfortunately the damned in these cases, include children, and national security.